Ice maker refrigeration control

ABSTRACT

A CONTROL FOR PROVIDING IMPROVED OPERATION OF A REFRIGERATION. APPARATUS WHEREBY EFFECTIVE MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY IN THE OPERATION OF AN ICE MAKER ASSOCIATED WITH THE REFRIGERATION APPARATUS IS OBTAINED. THE CONTROL EFFECTS A CONTINUOUS DIRECTING OF REFRIGERATED AIR AGAINST THE ICE MAKER APPARATUS WHENEVER THE ICE BODY COLLECTING MEANS IS LESS THAN FULL THEREBY PERMITTING THE ICE MAKER TO RAPIDLY PRODUCE ICE BODIES FOR BRINGING THE COLLECTING MEANS TO A FULL CONDITION.

Oct. l2, 1971 W, n lNS-n-RQMBERG 3,6119741 ICE MAKER REFRIGERATIONCONTROL Filed Oct. 3l. 1969 3,611,741 ICE MAKER REFRIGERATION CONTROLWilliam l'. Linstromberg, Evansville, Ind., assignor to WhirlpoolCorporation lFiled Oct. 31, 1969, Ser. No. 872,857 llnt. Cl. lFZSc 1/00Us. ci. 62-137 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A control forproviding improved operation of a refrigeration apparatus wherebyeffective maximum efficiency in the operation of an ice maker associatedwith the refrigeration apparatus is obtained. The control effects acontinuous directing of refrigerated air against the ice maker apparatuswhenever the ice body collecting means is less than full therebypermitting the ice maker to rapidly produce ice bodies for bringing thecollecting means to a full condition.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This inventionrelates to refrigeration apparatus and in particular to control meansfor providing improved operation of an ice maker means provided in suchrefrigeration apparatus.

Description of the prior art 3 In one form of refrigeratlon apparatus,an 1ce maker 4 One proposed method of effecting such a desirablearrangement is to provide means for accelerating the forming of the icebodies so that relatively rapid recovery of the ice body quantity in thecollecting space is provided whereby the collecting space may be maderelatively small. One method of accelerating such ice body formation isto provide a flow of refrigerated air in heat transfer association withthe ice maker mold at all times. In one form of such refrigerationapparatus, the provision of such refrigerated air in heat transferassociation with the ice maker mold is provided by means causing thecompressor and evaporator fan of the refrigeration apparatus to beoperated continuously whenever the collecting means is less than fullyfilled. Such refrigeration apparatus providing continuous flow of therefrigerated air in heat transfer association with the ice maker mold,as well as the apparatus providing continuous operation of thecompressor and fan as discussed above, are wasteful of power and, thus,have a serious disadvantage as an attempted solution to the problem ofproviding effectively maximum efficiency in the ice forming operationpermitting the utilization of the desired effectively minimum sizecollecting space means.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprehends an improvedre- 6 frigeration apparatus avoiding the disadvantages of the abovediscussed prior art refrigeration apparatus while yet providing animproved control of the apparatus to effectively maximize efciency ofice body forming for permitting the use of effectively minimum size icebody collectng space means.

l ted States 3,611,741 Patented Oct.. 12, 1971 More specifically, theinvention comprehends the provision of such refrigeration apparatuswherein means are provided for causing concurrent continuous operationof the evaporator fan and cyclical operation of the compressor when thelevel of ice bodies in the collecting space means is below a preselectedlevel. The compressor control permits operation of the compressorwhenever the temperature sensed by the thermostatic sensing means of therefrigeration apparatus rises above a preselected high level whilepermitting the discontinuation of the compressor operation whenever thetemperature so sensed drops below a preselected low level..

The control circuit providing such improved functioning is extremelysimple and economical of construction while yet providing substantiallyfoolproof maintenance-free control of the pertinent portions of therefrigeration apparatus to provide the desirable functioning.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Other features and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the refrigeration apparatus embodyingtherein the ice maker refrigeration control means;

FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical section thereof; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic Wiring diagram showing the electrical circuitry ofthe refrigeration apparatus control including the ice makerrefrigeration control means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the exemplary embodiment ofthe invention as disclosed in the drawing, a refrigeration apparatusgenerally designated 10 illustratively comprises a refrigerator-freezerapparatus having a lower refrigerator portion 11 and an upper freezerportion 12. The particular arrangement of the refrigeration apparatus isexemplary only, it being understood that other suitable arrangements maybe utilized. The invention comprehends the provision of an ice makerapparatus 13 in a freezer space 14 in portion 12 of the apparatus 10 andimproved means for controlling the delivery of refrigerated air in heattransfer association with an ice forming mold portion 15 of the icemaker 13.

More specifically, ice maker 13 includes a control portion 16 forautomatically forming a plurality of ice bodies in the mold 15 anddelivering them to a subjacent collecting space means 17. The ice maker13 further includes means 18 for sensing the level of ice bodiescollected in collecting space means 17 for automatically controlling theoperation of the ice maker control portion 16 whereby the apparatus isoperated to effectively maintain the collecting space means 17 full.

Such ice body forming and harvesting apparatus are well known in the artand require no further description herein as the details thereof form nopart of the present invention.

As discussed briefly above, the invention comprehends effectivelymaximizing the efficiency of ice body formation to permit the collectingspace means 17 to have relatively small size while yet meeting thenormal demands of the user of the refrigeration apparatus. To this end,the invention comprehends directing refrigerated air in heat transferassociation with the moldl 15 at all times when the level of ice bodiesin collecting space means 17 is below the preselected full level.

As shown in FIG. 2, refrigeration apparatus 10 includes a cabinet 19defining in addition to freezer space 14, an above-freezingrefrigeration space 20 and a subjacent apparatus space 21. A portion ofthe refrigeration apparatus is shown in FIG. 2 to include a compressor22,

an evaporator 23 and a fan 24. The apparatus further includes suitableduct means 25 for delivering refrigerated air to each of the freezerspace 14 and refrigeration space 20. A temperature responsive dampercontrol generally designated 26 may be provided for controlling theproportion of the air delivered from fan 24 to the refrigerator space20. The duct means 25 may include an outlet 27 in the freezer space 14arranged to direct refrigerated air in heat transfer relationship withthe mold 1S. A thermoplastic sensing means 28 may be provided in thefreezer space 14 for sensing the temperature within the freezer space14. Return air ducts (not shown) provide a circuitous path for airwithin the refrigeratorfreezer as is conventional in modern frost-freerefrigeration apparatus.

Referring now to FIG. 3, motor driven fan 24 is connected between onepower supply lead L1 and the moving contact 29a of a double pole, doublethrow switch generally designated 29. The moving contact 29a isselectively engageable with a rst fixed Contact 2919 connected through asingle pole switch contact 30a of a defrost timer 30 to the other powersupply lead L2, and a second xed contact 29e connected to one side ofthe motor compressor 22. The other side of motor compressor 22 isconnected to power supply lead L1 and a condenser fan 31 is connected inparallel with the motor compressor 22. Freezer thermostat 28 defines asingle pole switch having a moving contact 28a connected to switchcontact 29c and having a fixed contact 28b connected to defrost timerswitch contact 30a. A second moving contact 29d of switch 29 isconnected through an ice maker thermostat switch generally designated 32to a mold heater or ice release means 33 connected to the power supplylead L1. Moving contact 29d is selectively engageable with a first xedcontact 29e connected to defrost timer switch contact 30a and a secondfixed contact 29j connected to an ice maker motor 34, in turn connectedto the power supply lead L1. A holding switch generally designated 35includes a fixed contact 35a connected to ice maker thermostat switch 32and mold heater 33 and through a single pole valve switch 36 and waterfill solenoid valve 37 to defrost timer switch 30a. Switch 35 includes asecond fixed Contact 35b connected to the defrost timer switch 30a. Themoving contact 35e of switch 35 is connected to contact 29f and icemaker motor 34. A single pole, bi-metallic defrost switch 38 isconnected between a defrost heater 39 and a xed contact 30th of defrosttimer switch 30.

The operation of motor voperated evaporator fan 24 is under the controlof switch 29 as follows. Switch 29 is suitably mechanically associatedwith sensing arm 18 so that the switch is thrown to the On position, asshown in FIG. 3 when the level of ice bodies in collecting space means17 is below the preselected level. Thus, assuming that the refrigerationapparatus is not in the defrost cycle, a circuit is completed from powersupply lead L2 through defrost timer switch contact 30a, fixed contact2912 and moving contact 29a of switch 29, and motor operated fan 24 topower supply lead L1. Thus, refrigerated air is delivered continuouslyby fan 24 in heat transfer association with mold 15.

Concurrent with such operation of the evaporator fan 24, freezerthermostat 28 may cycle the operation of compressor 22. Thus, a parallelcircuit is established through switch 28 and compressor 22 between powersupply leads L2 and L1. As seen in FIG. 3, the motor operated condenserfan 31 cycles together with compressor 22.

When the level of ice bodies in collecting space means 17 reaches thefull level, switch 29 is thrown so as to cause moving contact 29a to bespaced from xed contact 29b and engage fixed contact 29o. A circuit tothe motor operated fan 24 is now established through the freezerthermostat switch 28, fixed contact 29e, moving contact t 4 29a, andmotor operated fan 24 so that the fan is effectively electricallyparalleled with motor operated compressor 22 for concurrent cyclicaloperation of each.

As further shown in FIG. 3, when the level of ice bodies in collectingspace means 17 is below the full level, a circuit is established throughfixed contact 29e, moving contact 29d, and switch 32 to the mold heater33 and through switch 35 to the ice maker motor 34. In the event thatthe ice making operation has commenced prior to the throwing of theswitch 29, the holding switch 35 maintains a circuit through the movingcontact 29d of switch 29 now engaging fixed contact 29f to continue theoperation of the mold heater 3.3 and ice maker motor 34.

Thus, refrigeration apparatus 10 provides an improved controlledoperation effectively maximizing the efliciency of ice maker productionso as to permit utilization of an effectively minimum size ice bodycollecting space means 17.

The foregoing disclosure of specific embodiments is illustrative of thebroad inventive concepts comprehended by the invention.

I claim:

1. In a refrigeration apparatus having a refrigerating chamber, meansfor sensing the temperature of said chamber, an ice maker, means forcollecting ice bodies made by the ice maker, means for sensing the levelof ice bodies in said collecting means, a compressor, an evaporator, anda fan for circulating cold air from said evaporator to said chamber andice maker, control means comprising means for causing concurrentcontinuous operation of said fan and cyclical operation of saidcompressor when the level of ice bodies in said collecting means sensedby said level sensing means is below a preselected level, said controlmeans including means for causing operation of said compressor when thetemperature sensed by said sensing means rises above a preselected highlevel and discontinuing operation of said compressor when thetemperature sensed by said sensing means drops below a preselected lowlevel.

2. The refrigeration apparatus of claim 1 further including means forcausing said fan to operate cyclically concurrently with said compressorwhen the level of ice bodies in said collecting means is at least saidpreselected level.

3. The refrigeration apparatus of claim 1 further including means fordefrosting said evaporator comprising means for preventing all operationof said fan during a defrosting operation.

4. The refrigeration apparatus of claim 1 wherein said temperaturesensing means comprises a thermostat switch and said means for causingsaid operation of said fan and compressor comprises a double throwswitch arranged to selectively connect said fan directly across a powersupply or through said thermostat switch across the power supply.

5. The refrigeration apparatus of claim 4 wherein said double throwswitch includes a moving contact electrically connected to said fan anda fixed contact electrically connected to said thermostat.

6. The refrigeration apparatus of claim `4 further including a controlswitch for controlling the energization of said ice maker.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS MEYER PERLIN, Primary ExaminerU.S. Cl. X.R. 62-180, 344

